Father-son duo headline 2020 A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame class

By: George Guido
Saturday, December 28, 2019 | 8:45 PM

For the first time, the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting a father and son simultaneously.

Bob Mills, a standout basketball player at Highlands and later at Maryland-Baltimore County, will be inducted with his father, Glenn, long-time sponsor, builder and supplier of regional sports teams.

The younger Mills, a retired oil and gas entrepreneur, is now a part owner of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, the Class AAA farm club for the New York Yankees. Glenn Mills is still at it as owner of B&J Sports in Natrona Heights.

The hall of fame’s 51st induction banquet is May 16 at the New Kensington Quality Inn.

Here are the other inductees, listed alphabetically:

Chris Como

As part of Burrell’s incredible 13-year reign as WPIAL wrestling champions as a head coach or an assistant, Como guided the program from 1998-2009. While head coach, his teams won four WPIAL titles and had seven straight finals appearances. He has been named WPIAL and PIAA coach of the year. A 1989 Burrell graduate, Como was an All American wrestler at Pitt-Johnstown.

Jeff Cortileso

A standout lineman at Leechburg in the 1970s, he remains the only Blue Devils player named to the Big 33 all-star game. Cortileso played in three consecutive AIC Bowl games and received a scholarship to West Virginia, playing for the Mountaineers in the 1975 Peach Bowl, and later officiated high school games.

Rich Kriston (posthumously)

Fox Chapel never had a winning season in football until Kriston came along from 1969-71. He still holds Fox Chapel records in career rushing at 3,125 yards and in touchdowns with 45 and was a three-time heavyweight section champ in wrestling. As a Penn State linebacker, Kriston played in the Orange, Cotton and Sugar bowls. He died in 2013.

Terry Preece

A multi-sport athletes at Oakmont High School, Preece captained the Oaks in football, basketball and track. As a senior, he led the A-K Valley in touchdowns (22) and yardage (1,579). Later that school year, he won the AIC long jump and triple jump. At Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College, Preece played in the Wool Bowl.

Lizzie Suwala Shaeffer

Still the A-K Valley’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball, Suwala Shaeffer collected 2,266 points over her four-year career with Ford City. The Sabers made the WPIAL playoffs each of her seasons there. She was Tribune-Review Player of the Year in 2004 and went on to play at IUP and Clarion.

Bobby White

A three-year football standout for Freeport after transferring in from Florida, White was a first-team, all-state linebacker named by the AP and UPI in 1981 after he helped lead the Yellowjackets to the 1981 WPIAL Class AA title game. White captained Penn State’s 1986 national championship team and still works for the university.

Tickets for the banquet will be $30, and more information on sales will be announced in late January.

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Leechburg